The Chile Film

Welcome to "The Chile Film" website, dedicated to those who love chile, food and culture…unique only to New Mexico. Visit us hear to learn more about the making of "The Red and Green Blood of New Mexico" a documentary that focuses on these themes central to the New Mexican way of life.

About the Film

The documentary currently titled "The Red and Green Blood of New Mexico" focuses on the chile pepper industry in New Mexico and how chile is an integral part of the New Mexican identity and culture.

The Chile Film

The documentary will discuss the history of chile, how it came to New Mexico, the different varieties, the health benefits of chile, the economic impact that chile has on New Mexico, the responsibilities farmers have to ensure the best crop, and how chile has impacted culture and food in New Mexico. This is in simple terms, this is the story of how one plant has helped form a culture.

So what is chile with an E?

New Mexico's favorite food item is spelled c-h-i-l-e and in 1983, Senator Pete Dominici made it official by putting it in Congressional Record. He rose and addressed the United States Senate, declaring that even though the word was chili in the dictionary , New Mexicans refuse to spell it the way the rest of America does, and so, he stood before the full Senate and with the backing of my New Mexican Constituents state unequivocally that the dictionary is wrong. Then, after extolling the virtues of New Mexico chile, he told his colleagues, Hospitable as we are to all visitors, we have chile that is mild enough to make a baby coo in delight, or hot enough to make even the strongest constitutions perspire in a sensual experience of both pleasure and pain. He ended by saying, "I could go on and on about the wonders of red and green chile, but in reality, all I wanted to do was inform Congress on the correct way to spell the word." (chiletraditions.com)